Blue Magpie
by Chicken Yuki
Summary: Apparently, there was more to the story of what happened during the battle to save Prince Zephiel. And Most of it happened to Ursula, the Blue Crow of the Four Fangs, before she bit the dust...


_Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken (aka, Fire Emblem 1 for the US)._

**Fire Emblem: Rekka No Ken**

**Blue Magpie**

"Maxime! Maxime? Are you still holding your ground? Maxime? GAAH! THIS IS USELESS!" Ursula cried.

What started off as a simple assassination of Prince Zephiel evolved into a full-scale battle in the dark with the Pherean army. Despite the initial upper hand that the Black Fang possessed in numbers and position, Elliwood and his champions easily overpowered Ursula's ranks.

"How am I loosing? HOW IN THE WORLD AM I LOOSING? ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS HAVE THE PRINCE AND THOSE TRAITORS EXTERMINATED, AND NOW WE HAVE THIS ON MY HANDS?" Ursula shouted.

Further away from her in the darkness of the Castle, Paladin Kent squared off with a wounded, yet determined Maxime.

"You will... pay... for... interrupting our operation..." Maxime proclaimed.

"Lord Elliwood and Lady Lyndis has ordered me to reach Prince Zephiel and guard him with my life. I cannot allow you to get in my way!" Kent announced.

Maxime chuckled mockingly. "You are a fool who knows nothing..." he grinned.

"What are you talking about!" Kent demanded.

"Even if you managed to slay me, Lady Ursula would pay you back hundredfold by smiting you from where you'd least suspect it!" Maxime explained. "Too bad for you that I won't allow you that honor!"

"Then show me the truth of your words, if you can." Kent proclaimed as he reached for a silver axe.

"With Pleasure!" Maxime grinned as he took out a silver lance.

The two men charged each other on their noble steed. Maxime tried to strike first with the length of his lance, but Kent skillfully swerved slightly away and countered swiftly with his Axe. Upon impact, Maxime's armor split apart as he was knocked from his horse.

With his recently aquired victory, Kent turned his horse to face his vanquished foe. "You spoke as though you had divine retribution on your side, but it seems you were gravely mistakened, misguided one" he sighed before rushing to Prince Zephiel's rescue.

With the magical ability of clairvoyance at her disposal, Ursula was able to sense her sudden loss from afar. "CURSES! My Sub-Commander has been slain! And they've already managed to get a few units at the Prince's side. No. I just can't let it end this way. Lady Sonia will have my head if I failed like that wretch Vaida. I still have some backup hidden behind castle walls, and I have just enough fighters surrounding me to stall the enemy. I just have to sense the Pherean Army and gradually crush them from afar, and victory should still be in my grasp!"

Ursula of the Four Fangs then concentrated hard to feel those around her. "Ah! I can sense that traitor, Jaffar, now! He shall be the first to feel the wrath of the Fang!" she squealed with delight.

She then began chanting the spell fro her Bolt tome to destroy the treacherous assassin. But the screams of death from her near by subordinates ended up being a big distraction. Panicked that she could be next, Ursula then switched her focus to bring down the incoming assailant. An intense flash of lightening suddenly came down from yards away, but the blue-haired valkyre noticed two figures dodge her magic with ease. She then growled viciously before attempting to recast her spell.

Further away, the two agile figures stared upon Ursula's faint figure in the darkness.

"This woman will undoubtly remain a threat until she is properly slain. I can feel something... intriguing about this one. Yes, my sword thirsts to slay her..." Karel smirked with insanity gleaming in his eyes.

"No. Hold on a minute, Karel. Let make take care of this." Matthew grinned.

Karel looked hesitant to give up such promising prey at first, but then he felt there might be opponents even more worthy in the future. "Go ahead, but don't be killed so recklessly. I sense... potential in you. Something you might realize once you experience the full extent of your wrath." he answered cryptically. His blood-stained sword offered an eerie reflection of the young thief's eyes before he joined the others to guard Prince Zephiel.

Ursula noticed the lone thief charge headlong at her with a Killing Edge.

"Is this an insult? There's no way I'm going to die in the hands of some petty thief!" she cried.

Once again, Ursula began chanting the spell from her Bolt tome. But just as she was on the verge of finishing, Matthew leapt up and kicked the Valkyre right off her horse, which also took the Bolt tome from her grasp. The young thief landed cleanly on two legs, while Ursula wasn't so lucky as she crash-landed onto the hard ground. She let out a cry of pain on collision.

When Matthew finally got a good look at her adversary, he blinked in surprise.

"Hey! You're that lady that gave Heath that staff when we were fighting Vaida!" he grinned in pleasant surprise.

Ursula let out a moan. "You fool... I only gave you that one chance to spite that unworthy newcomer. We're enemies now, and there's no way I'm going let any one of you live!" she proclaimed.

"What? Without this?" Matthew said as he picked up the Bolt tome he knocked away earlier.

"W-what! Give that back!" Ursula demanded.

"Sorry, no can do. You just threatened to kill me with this thing, so why should I return it?" Matthew retorted. He then chucked the book far away into the darkness, in a spot just where Erk happened to be to catch it.

"I should remember to thank that witty thief later." Erk said to himself as he studied the Bolt spell in his grasp.

"Okay, now that you're disarmed and everything, do you want to surrender?" Matthew taunted.

"You've got to be kidding me! There's no way am I going to surrender to the likes of you!" Ursula scoffed. "Besides, I'm not COMPLETLY disarmed! I still have a spare tomb ready to destroy you from up close!" she crowed as she searched herself for her other book, but apparently, it wasn't on her at the moment.

"Don't tell me..." Ursula thought nervously before slowly turning to see a triumphant young thief, grinning wider than ever.

Matthew shrugged before he reached for something in her pack. "Are you looking for... THIS?" he grinned as he waved her spare tomb right in front of her face.

Ursula started shaking violently. "What the heck is this kid?" she thought to herself. Not willing to let this thief shame her any further, she pounced right at him in order to recover the book, but cleaver Matthew side-stepped her effort.

The thief chuckled in sheer delight. "Wow... without your precious magic tombs, you're petty much a helpless little schoolgirl!" he taunted.

"UGH! TAKE THAT BACK!" Ursula snarled. Again, she tried to make a jump for the book, but Matthew sidestepped again.

He then let out a big sigh. "Okay, yeah. This was fun the first few times, but now I'm getting bored. Let's see... how about you try and catch the book this time?"

Matthew then tossed the book high into the air, leaving Ursula preoccupied with guessing where it will fall. While she was too busy anticipating the book's dropping point, Matthew carefully readied his Killing Edge.

"Yeah, this is really cruel, but she is the enemy, after all." The thief thought as he nodded to himself with another sigh.

When her tome finally began its descent, Ursula flailed her arms around while running madly to reach for it. Unfortunately, this left her wide open for an attack. Matthew rushed in at an amazing speed and scored a devastating critical hit right below her chest. To add further insult to injury, the tome crash landed right on top of her head and neatly slid off.

Matthew once again confiscated the deadly tome while gazing at his opponent with deep pity. "This has been a really sad day for you..." Matthew lamented.

Ursula's breath labored heavily. Her wound was deep, yet she still had plenty of life in her. "This disgrace... is YOUR fault!" she exclaimed as she pointed a shaky finger at her hated foe while clutching her wound with her other hand.

"Oh, lighten up." Matthew answered. "In case you didn't notice, I didn't hit any of your vital spots, so you're not mortally wounded. You can still surrender and walk away with your life intact."

"THIS ISN'T A GAME!" Ursula shouted.

"Yeah, I figured that out when Leila got herself killed. Y'know, by your so-called "traitor"", he fussed.

Ursula's former frustration changed into a twisted smile. "So that little wench was your girl, huh?" She started laughing menacingly at the thief's plight. "What delicious news. Our little traitor killed the one person precious to you in this world, and now you're practically helping him. Perhaps with you still around, at least one of my missions will be accomplished for me." she mused.

Matthew folded his arms and started drumming his fingers. He had a fairly sullen expression on his face. He was trying very hard to contain his anger. "Y'know... life isn't always about one-upping everybody in your way." he explained coolly.

"What? What does this have to do with anything?" Ursula inquired.

Matthew shrugged. "It was clear from the battle with Vaida that you didn't want some newbie with potential best you at defeating Lord Elliwood and Lord Hector, and right now you're using this opportunity to prove that you're the finest Elite by taking down the Angel of Death. You're obviously trying to move on up in the world." he deduced. "As for me? I'm just fine with lurking in the shadows. Being in the limelight just isn't for me."

"A fine philosophy for the weak and unworthy..." Ursula scoffed.

"Hey, I wouldn't talk right now! You just joined the club!" Matthew grinned.

At that point, the enraged Valkyre was just about to use her remaining strength to sock Matthew in the jaw, but the pain from her deep wound held her back.

"Say! I just got an idea! How about instead of facing certain doom, or surrendering, why don't you join up with us instead? I'll give you back your tome!" Matthew proposed.

Ursula looked at him skeptically. "What? You want a half-dead chick serving your every whim?"

"No! Not all!" Matthew answered confidently. "We have one of the finest healers in Elibe to fix your wound up just as new! And despite some personality issues, I think you'd be a much more welcome addition than having Jaffar join up."

Ursula's doubt grew. "You can't be serious..." she uttered in disbelief.

"Oh, but I am!" Matthew assured. "I already have some decent companions in Guy, Oswin, and Lord Hector! But I do have my share of complains about one of our heroes. Bloody wench goes on and on about her "needs". Anyway, you'd balance out my personal little dynamic rather nicely! Lord Hector happens to be the brash and bold type ready carve out your guts in a moment's notice, my companion Guy is the eager swordsman who's aspiring to be the best, Oswin's the stalwart soldier with a keen sense of justice, and that my personal thorn at the side is a whiny dip of a damsel in distress who will blab on forever! With me as the cunning, yet happy-go-lucky thief in the mix, all we need is an arrogant lady of your kind and calibur, and our group dynamic will be complete!" he grinned.

Upon hearing this, Ursula started blankly at her recruiter. She was left utterly speechless by his ridiculous explanation.

"Group... dynamics?" she thought.

"Okay, okay, fine! If that won't convince you, how about this?"

Matthew cleared his throat, then got on his knees.

"Oh great Ursula, Blow Crow of the Four Fangs! We of House Phereae and Ostia beseech you, for us inferior beings tremble in your mighty presence! Please aid us in our campaign to defeat Lord Nergal, for we our nothing compared to you!" Matthew mockingly pleaded before standing back up.

"There? Are you satisfied?" Matthew asked frankly with an amused grin.

Ursula couldn't take this abuse any further. "CURSE YOU! HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME LIKE THIS! THERE'S NO WAY THAT I WOULD EVER JOIN YOU, EVEN IF YOU WERE ACTUALLY NICER TO ME!" she shouted.

"Are you serious?" Matthew asked.

"YOU CAN TAKE YOUR OFFER AND SHOVE IT! I'D RATHER DIE!"

Matthew shrugged again. "Okay, if you insist. But I can't guarantee you that it'll be quick and painless." he warned.

The thief then prepared his Killing Edge once more and prepared for his finishing maneuver. He raised the blade high into the air and brought it down hard.

The last thing Ursula saw was the gleam of the deadly blade before she closed her eyes. Despite her boastful attitude, Ursula was indeed afraid of death, but she felt it was a much better fate than to work with a lowly, conniving thief.

Upon the moment of contact, an unfamiliar sensation enveloped her. For something that was often feared on the battlefield, this particular experience was warm and inviting. She started wondering why she was never allowed to feel something so wonderful in life, and what she did to deserve her place in heaven.

But at the same time, it was strange phenomenon. Instead of hearting ceasing to beat altogether, it pounded wildly. Instead of having feeling that she had left her body, she had became more aware of it. It wasn't something she could consider a true "Afterlife", but the start of a completely new life altogether. It was bliss. It was ecstasy.

However, it took her a long time to notice that she never felt a sharp blade tearing through her flesh, but that had to have been a good thing.

"So what? I died a quick a painless death! It's better than slowly burnt, and having my skin charred off, right?" her spirit thought.

For a while, her spirit wandered into the dark realm of death...

...until she realized there was something that made contact with her lips.

She slowly opened her eyes to see her own lips puckered up with the crafty thief's.

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

She leapt back in a panic and spilled more blood from her wound. Matthew reacted with raucous laughter.

"WHAT THE HECK?" Ursula shouted, with her face as red as the gash in her body.

"Bull's Eye!" Matthew smirked as he pointed a finger at the startled Valkyre.

"THAT'S NOT VERY FUNNY!" Ursula shouted. "AGH! KILL ME, ALREADY! I DON'T WANT TO LIVE WITH THIS MEMORY!" she complained.

"You know what? I changed my mind." Matthew answered slyly. "Since your cronies already lost this battle, your supperiors are going to come after you, anyway. I think it would be more amusing if you were to be killed for your failure instead. Of course, you're alive and kicking right now, so you can always change your mind and join forces with us. We can save you from a grisly fate and everything!"

"GO TO HELL!" Ursula shouted.

"Geez, you didn't have to be rude! I'm leaving!" he grumbled before turning around and walking towards his group.

With a through humiliation dealt to her, Ursula glared back at Matthew with fury. "How dare he reduce me to this? You've made a mistake in sparing my life, thief! I swear, I'll pay you back! I'll send you to the grave with your spy girlfriend! I'll have my revenge!" she thought.

As if he could read her thoughts, Matthew turned his head to see the defeated Commander once more. "It's a shame, you know. I had a lot of fun with you!" he grinned innocently before fading into the darkness with a hearty laugh.

Ursula glared into the darkness, completely dumbfounded.

"I was just "fun" to him?" she thought.

As Ursula sat there in her weakened state, her inner rage built up, but her blushing face started to form a contradicting expression.

"He'll pay... for everything... for this utter defeat…for this humiliation... for my embarrassment... for kissing--"

Ursula felt a shiver down her spine when she realized she was smiling dreamily.

The Blue Crow nearly collapsed in shock until she felt something heavy on her side. She reached for the object and discovered it to be a big blue bottle.

"An Elixir? But... but I never packed this!" she exclaimed.

She then recalled an image of the grinning thief in her mind.

"Him! He must've slipped it on my side when he kissed me!" she concluded.

She then chugged the healing liquid down her throat, and the wound healed immediately. She then looked intently at the empty blue bottle.

"That fool! He just assured that I will have my revenge!" she thought in triumph.

Despite this sinister thought, she was fawning over the bottle.

Somewhere in the back of her mind was a thought that matched her outer action.

"I can't believe... he was actually this generous to me..."

Suddenly, she heard Prince Zephiel's spare guard marching in.

"Oh, crap! I have to get out of here!" she panicked.

She then quickly got on her horse and made a drastic escape.

"This isn't over yet, Matthew!" she thought as her horse galloped across the plains. "I swear I'll have my revenge!"

Part of her felt really awkward making this mental claim, though, since wore a sweet, serene smile as her faced flushed pink.

"Gah! What's wrong with me? Why... can't... I... stop... smiling? He did something to me, didn't he? He poisoned me with that Elixir, or that kiss from earlier! Uh... oooh..."

Ursula started moaning as a subtle hint of kindness started to overwhelm her, and posses her very being.

Meanwhile, Limstella teleported onto the scene with a magic circle, to check out the outcome of the battle.

"It's a big shame... there isn't much quintessence to be harvested from this battle. At the very least, Ursula would've provided a copious amount if she had remained or had been slain. At the very least, her personal subordinate proved to be of some use." the Morph uttered emotionlessly.

With little quintessence she gather, Limstella quickly returned to her master.

Sufficient to say, Ursula never did enact her revenge on Matthew, or the Pherean Army. Also, it seemed she was never killed by her former comrades of the Black Fang at all. But what is certain is that Ursula did die… Eventually… As she was doing…Something…

_Author's Note: I actually have to thank Kurai and one of the random pictures I saw from her "Sig Collection" for doing this one. Yes, it was a cute Ursula picture that urged me to write this. I appoligize for the vague ending, but if you want Ursula to hook up with Matthew in the end, go ahead and think that. They'd probably be cute together, though... Beats the living crap out of the annyoing Matthew/Serra pair..._

…_Now to go study up on a certain female thief from FE6._

_And again, thank you, Anima Sage Kurai…._


End file.
